Day 5: Civil Rights

We began with a trip to Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Mound Bayou, was different because it was an all black community built by the surgeon, T.R.M. Howard. Howard was interesting in that he didn't call for integration with whites. He believed in separate, but equal while stressing the equal part.

At Delta State we met with Dr. Henry Outlaw (good guy even though he's from the hills). Henry discussed the Emmett Till murder and contrasted it with To Kill a Mockingbird. He chronicled Harper Lee's being influenced by the Till Murder in writing her novel. He discussed how both Till and Tom Robinson broke no law, but broke a rigid and time honored code in the South.

Following Dr. Outlaw was Charles McLaurin who is described as a foot soldier in the Civil Rights movement. He recruited Fannie Lou Hammers to register to vote in 1962. He was also part of Freedom Summer in 1964.

After lunch we loaded on our bus and headed for Sumner, Mississippi in Tallahatchie County, sight of the Emmitt Till murder trial. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me as we were able to listen to a panel of witnesses to history including Parker Wheeler (Till's cousin),  Henry Outlaw, Luther Brown, Dale Killinger (FBI Agent in charge of investigation), Lent Rice (Retired FBI), Bruce Smith (son of special prosecutor Robert Bruce Smith) and Jim Powers (ACLU). The discussion revealed many new facts the FBI uncovered in their investigation and the fact that the actual incident at Bryant's Grocery remains unclear. Other than the "wolf whistle" Parker, who was present, knows little about what was said in the grocery.

After a tour of the newly renovated Sumner Courthouse, we visited the Emmett Till Intrepid Center and viewed a film about the Till murder and the museum. It was located at the cotton gin that the gin fan was procured to weigh Emmett down when his body was thrown into the Tallahatchie River.

The night was capped with a good time at Poor Monkey's Lounge. Po Monkey and D.J. Doctor Tissue rocked the house (literally his house) and provided entertainment for all.

Poor Monkey- the last rural Juke Joint in Mississippi

Day 4: The Blues

Wednesday saw us begin our day with a short bus ride to Dockery Farms. There we learned of the cotton picking culture that was present there and how it led to the music we now call the Blues. Charlie Patton and other cotton pickers sang about the realities of life they found in their harsh lives and eventually made their way singing the Blues around the country.

From Dockery we visited "the crossroads" that Tommy Johnson surely traveled from his home each day when traveling to Dockery. While we didn't meet the devil there, we did marvel in the West African culture brought first to the Caribbean and then on to America by the slaves. This culture consisted of Voodoo that believed in various gods and especially the trickster god of the crossroads.

A short ride to Rueville, Mississippi where Fannie Lou Hammer's grave-site is located and a documentary to detail her life on a cotton plantation and her firing for registering to vote followed. Dr. Edgar Smith gave us in depth background information about Hammers and her involvement in Freedom Summer, SNCC and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Another bus trip to Indianola, Mississippi and documentary on B.B. King led us to the B.B. King Museum. Here we learned of King and his blues career as he spread the Blues from the Chitlin Circuit and beyond.

The afternoon was spent with Dr. David Evans, professor of Ethnomusicology, discussing the history of the Blues. We also got to experience our taste of the day, Tamales.

Birthplace of the Blues

The Crossroads Group Picture

Fannie Lou Hammer's statue at her grave site

Lucille statue at the B.B. King Museum

Day 3: Immigrants and Religion in the Delta

Tuesday began with a bus ride to Greenville, Mississippi. As all of our bus trips were rolling classroom sessions, we watched documentaries on the Delta Chinese, Jews and Lebanese. Discussions were led delving into the life of immigrants and the culture they brought with them to the Delta.

Upon arriving in Greenville, we visited the Chinese Cemetery where Cathy Wong discussed the impact of Delta Chinese. Across the street from the Chinese Cemetery was a black cemetery which we also toured. Notable in the cemetery is the grave of Holt Collier, former slave and wilderness guide to the likes of Teddy Roosevelt.After a discussion of Jews in Greenville, by Benji Nelken at the Jewish Temple, we toured the museum at the temple and the adjacent 1927 Flood Museum.

After lunch we were treated to a discussion of the religious and cultural history of the Delta by Charles Reagan Wilson. Mr. Wilson focused on the split of the Baptist Church over the issue of slavery in the south. He also discussed the life and impact of Fannie Lou Hammer on the Civil Rights Movement.

The evening concluded with a performance and discussion of the Blues by Bill Abel. His collection of homemade guitars, performing skills and knowledge of the history of the Blues entertained and enlightened.

Greenville Chinese Cemetery

Lee Aylward and Cathy Wong

Tombstone of Holt Collier

Group picture at the Jewish Temple

Bill Abel preforming with one of his cigar guitars

Day 2: West Tallahatchie and the Levee

Our first full day in Cleveland started with an overview by Luther and Lee and and introduction to the Delta. After lunch we viewed LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton. We learned of the cycle of poverty and illiteracy in West Tallahatchie, Mississippi through the documentary and were introduced LaLee and her family. A dual story line of the West Tallahatchie School District and its struggle to teach Lalee's Kin and other children of poor and often illiterate families with a modest funding.

After watching the film we were treated to a discussion by Reggie Barns, Former Superintendent of West Tallahatchie Schools. Reggie was able to relate the extreme poverty in the West Tallahatchie School District and the obstacles such as contracting with qualified teachers that he faced to increase state test scores.

We finished our evening by visiting the sight of the 1927 levee break at Mounds Landing and dinner at Leo's on the Levee.

Reggie Barnes 

Luther Brown discussing the 1927 Levee break at Mounds Landing

Catfish, fries, slaw and hush puppies...Oh my!!!

Welcome to the Delta

Sunday was primarily a travel day. I left Ashland, Kentucky at 5:00 am and drove to Memphis, Tennessee. There I visited Beale Street and the famous A. Schwab store. They had an array of items from size 70 overalls to Hoodoo paraphernalia and plenty of touristy products. They also have a mini-museum.
Lunch was barbecue at the Pig on Beale.

Beale Street on Sunday afternoon

The day was rounded out with a visit to the Martin and Sue King Railroad Museum for a reception in Cleveland, Mississippi.